Electric shaver with selective depression of the vertically adjustable shear plate



Feb. 8, 1966 H. J. DRIESSEN 3,233,323

ELECTRIC SHAVER WITH SELECTIVE DEPRESSION OF THE VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLESHEAR PLATE Filed March 8, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

HENRICUS J. ORIESSEN BY Mick AGE/V7 Feb. 8, 1966 H. J. DRIESSEN 3,

ELECTRIC SHAVER WITH SELECTIVE DEPRESSION OF THE VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLESHEAR PLATE Filed March 8 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HENRICUS J.DR|ESSENAGENT United States Patent 3,233,323 ELECTRIC SHAVER WITH fiELECTIVEDEPRES- SION OF THE VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE SHEAR PLATE Henricus JosefDriessen, Drachten, Netherlands, assignor to North American PhilipsCompany, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 8,1963, Ser. No. 263,979 Claims priority, application6 Netherlands, Mar.20, 1962,

,177 4 Claims. (Cl. 30-432) This invention relates to a dry-shavingapparatus, the shear plate of which, in particular a shear cap, can bedepressed against spring action until in a stop position, in which theplate, in a position parallel to a supporting surface of the apparatuson the skin, still partially projects above that supporting surface orlies substantially level therewith.

In such known devices the pressure of the shear cap on the kin is atfirst determined by the pressure of the spring which forces the shearcap outwards. After reaching the stop, the user may, if desired,increase the said pressure in accordance with the force with which hepushes the shaving apparatus against the skin. However, this appears tobe insufficient to meet the needs of the individual users and thereby toavoid entirely for every type of user the danger of pinching of theskin.

As a matter of fact, the shear action is influenced by the difference inheight between the shear cap :and the stretching edge, that is to saythe above-mentioned supporting surface. If in the stop position thestretching edge is low with respect to the shear cap, the run-in, i.e.the possibility of the hair to enter the cutting area through the slotsin the side wall of the shear cap, is large because the skin isstretched on the shear cap. However, with some users this results inirritation.

If the stretching edge is located substantially \as high as the shearcap, the run-in is small because the stretching edge holds the skinflat. With some razor users this prevents the possibility of readilyshaving out.

Both individually and for various parts of the skin, the most favourableheight is different.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which can better beadapted to the various conditions and uses, which device ischaracterized in that the stop member is adjustably provided for variousdepths of depression of the shear plate.

As a result of this it is achieved that the users are capable ofadjusting, according to their individual needs, the distance throughwhich the shear cap can be depressed against increasing spring pressureand determining themselves the position of the height of the cap withrespect to the stretching edge in the position of the firmly engagingcap.

It should be noted that the function of the present device is to providea vertically adjustable shear plate in which the shear plate may beselectively adjusted within a certain predetermined range of stops andfull pressure may be applied. upon the shear plate in the stop positionwithout additionally loading the shaver motor.

A favourable embodiment of the invention is that the stop member isadjustably provided in its height below a supporting edge of the shearplate. As a result of this, as stated above, the advantage is achievedthat the user is capable of exerting pressure on the shear plate also inthe stop position without additionally loading the motor of the shavingapparatus.

In order that the invention may readily be carried. into effect, certainembodiments thereof will now be described more fully, by way of example,with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which ice in which forthe sake of clarity the shear plates are not shown.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6a and 6b are perspective views of the inner circumference of theshaving head mounts separated from the housing structure shown in FIG.5.

FIG. 6c is a perspective view of the finger-operated lever 27.

FIG. 6d is a perspective view of the shear plate inner frame.

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan View of the shaver head frame member of thisembodiment in which the parts shown in FIG. 6 are omitted.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a shear cap which is used in the secondembodiment.

FIG. 9 shows a cross-section of a third embodiment.

FIG. 10 shows a cross-section of a fourth embodiment.

In FIG. 1, the housing 1 comprise a shaving head 2 which can be removedin known manner to expose openings 1A and 1B therein and comprisesitself two shear plates 3 closing said openings 1A and 1B.

These shear plates 3 can be depressed against spring action because theyrest in a manner corresponding to that shown in FIG. 9 on the drivenblades 42 which are under spring action by means of springs 30. For thesake of clarity these blades are not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Below theshear plate 3 which is provided with asupporting edge or rim 4 there islocated a stop ring 5 as clearly and individually seen in FIG. 3. Thisring is provided with a series of upright teeth 6, the tips of whichform the stop surface for the supporting edge 4 of the shear cap 3. InFIG. 1 the plate is shown in the stop position. It should be apparentthat the stop ring 5 is a means for adjusting the shear plate of a dryshaver to various heights relative to the housing 1. This isaccomplished by rotating a lever 11, hereinafter described.

The space between the teeth prevents the accumulation of parts of hairor dirt on the stop edge which might easily occur if a flat stop ringwere used.

In order to obtain the adjustability of the height of the stop ring 5,the lower side of said ring is provided with 'a number of slightlyinclined parts 7 which cooperatef with corresponding inclined surfiaces8 on the part of the housing on which the ring 5 rests. In the lowestposition with respect to the housing 1. The stop surface consequentiycan be adjusted continually between a lowest position and a positionwhich is higher by twice the height of the inclined parts 7.

The two stop rings are coupled together because one of them is providedwith a fork 9 and the other with a pin 10 located between the limbs ofthe fork 9. One of the stop rings i connected to a lever 11 which can beoperated from outside the housing.

The second embodiment is shown in FIGS. 4 to 8. In this embodiment ashaving head 12 is provided in nor-. mal manner at the top side withapertures which are bounded by stretching edges 13 and edges ofengagement 14 for the shear plates 15 which are provided with a numberof radially projecting supporting abutments 16. A

rotatable stop cylinder 17 comprising an outwardly thickened lower edge18 is provided in a manner such that it immediately joins the lower sideof the stretching edge 13.

A number of step-shaped recesses 19 are provided in the cylinder wall17. Each step-shaped recess 19 forms a number of steps 20 and each stepforms a surface of engagement for the abutments 16 of the shear plate15. The abutments 16 are located. in the shaving head 12 in grooves 21which are provided in the inner edge of the stretching edges and extendfrom the edge of engagement 14 downwards so that, when the cylinder 17is rotated, the shear cap is not rotated but is-only capable ofperforming an up and down movement the depth of which is restricted bythe surfaces of the various steps 20. Grooves 22 are provided on theinside of the cylinder wall1l7 and the thickened lower edge 18 joiningthe stepshaped recesses 19, the mutual distance of said groovescorresponding to that of the abutments 16, so that the shear plate canbe removed downwards and cleaned. The stop cylinder 17 is journalled inthe shaving head 12 by the edge 18 and enclosed by a shear plate 23.This plate is also provided with grooves 24 corresponding to thegrooves21 and 22.

The stop cylinders are coupled together by a fork 25 on the one cylinderand an abutment 26 on the other, the cylinders being rotated by mesansofa lever 27 projecting outside the shaving head. This is clearly seen inFIGS. 4, 6a, 6b and 60.

In the third embodiment (FIG. 9) in a manner corresponding to that ofFIG. 1 a shaving head 2 comprising shear plates 3 with supporting edges4 is provided on the housing 1. The stop surfaces for the supportingedges 4 are constituted by the tips of two series of upright teeth 6.

These series are provided on a common base plate 28 which with an edgebent downwards rests on a number of strip-shaped wedges 30 which can bemoved back and forth by means of an arm 31. As a result of this, thestop surfaces become located in a higher or lower position with respectto the housing and the depth of depression of the shear plates 3 isadjusted. Instead of separate wedges, for example also strips having astep-shaped or inclined cross-section provided in the longitudinaldirection below the edge 29 may be used which can be inserted more orless inwards, for example by means of a tape-shaped member providedaround the housing 1.

In FIG. 9 the position is shown in which the shear plates 3 engage theshaving head as a result of the spring action which is exerted on thedriven blades 32.

In a fourth embodiment (FIG. 10) a driven blade 34 is in normal mannerprovided below the shear plate 33 which blade is coupled to a drivingshaft 35 which consists of two parts, the driving shaft 13-5 and theelongated shaft 235, the driving shaft 135 being depressible in knownmanner through a certain distance against spring action in the form ofspring 41 with respect to the elongated shaft 235. This driving shaft 35together with the toothed wheel 36 are adjustable in height because theelongated shaft 235 rests on a step 37 of a step-shaped wedge 38, whichmay be moved back and forth by means of an arm 39. As a result of this,the depth of depression of the shear plate 33 is adjustable in itsheight. For a similar shaving apparatu having two separate cuttingmembers, the arm 39 may be coupled to a wedge 38 below each of thecutting members. In this device the tilt- Q. ability of the shear plate33 is obtained in known manner by means of the multiple-bent shaft 40which is also maintained in the stop position.

What is claimed is:

1. A dry shaver having a housing comprising a shaving head provided withan opening therein, a shear plate adapted to move vertically in saidopening, a driven blade in said opening under said shear plate, springmeans in said shaving head for biasing said. driven blade against saidshear plate, a shaped stop member for adjustably selecting a lowerabutting limit for various depths of depression of said shear plateagainst said spring means, and an operating means extending outside saidhousing for adjusting said lower abutting limit of said shear plate.

2. A dry shaver as claimed in claim 1 wherein said operating meanscomprises a finger lever connected to said stop member and having awedge-like supporting portion for said shear plate.

3. A dry shaver as claimed in claim 1 further comprising inclinedsurfaces on the lower edge of said stop member, and correspondinginclined surfaces on said shaving head on which the inclined surfaces ofsaid stop member rests whereby the rotation of the latter in onedirection by said operating means causes said stop member to adjustablyselect said lower abutting limit for various depths of depression ofsaid shear plate against said spring means.

4. A dry shaver comprising a shaving head provided with an openingtherein, a shear plate adapted. to move vertically in said opening andhaving a supporting rim, a driven blade in said opening under said shearplate, spring means in said shaving'head for biasing said driven ladeagainst said shear plate, a shaped stop member in said opening and inoperative engagement with said shear plate for adjustably selecting alower abutting limit for said shear plate for various depths ofdepression of said shear plate against said spring means, a shaped stopmember for adjustably selecting a lower abutting limit for variousdepths of depression of said shear plate against said spring means, andan operating means extending outside said housing for adjusting saidlower abutting limit of said shear plate, said shaped stop member beingprovided with a series of teeth, the tips of which are located in oneplane, and said tips collectively constituting a stop for the supportingrim of said shear plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,166,025 7/1939Schwarz 30-432 2,223,286 11/ 1940 Johnson 30-432 2,225,581 12/1940 Berg30-432 2,272,123 2/1942 Te Pas et al 30-432 2,289,518 7/1942 Raia 30-4322,952,908 9/1960 Starre et a1. 30-435 3,136,055 6/1964 Kobler et al30-431 FOREIGN PATENTS 913,779 6/1946 France. 1,223,765 2/1960 Fnance.

784,909 10/ 1957 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. MYRON C. KRUSE, Examiner.

1. A DRY SHAVER HAVING A HOUSING COMPRISING A SHAVING HEAD PROVIDED WITHAN OPENING THEREIN, A SHEAR PLATE ADAPTED TO MOVE VERTICALLY IN SAIDOPENING, A DRIVEN BLADE IN SAID OPENING UNDER SAID SHEAR PLATE, SPRINGMEANS IN SAID SHAVING HEAD FOR BIASING SAID DRIVEN BLADE AGAINST SAIDSHEAR PLATE, A SHAPED STOP MEMBER FOR ADJUSTABLY SELECTING A LOWERABUTTING LIMIT FOR VARIOUS DEPTHS OF DEPRESSION OF SAID SHEAR PLATEAGAINST SAID SPRING MEANS, AND AN OPERATING MEANS EXTENDING OUTSIDE SAIDHOUSING FOR ADJUSTING SAID LOWER ABUTTING LIMIT OF SAID SHEAR PLATE.